Improvement in fasteners for meeting-rails of sashes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN THOMPSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN FASTENERS FOR MEETING-RAILS OF SASHES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,198, dated September19, 1871; antedated September 2, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN THoMPsoN, of the city of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented anew and usefulSash-Fastener, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing formingpart of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a plan of1n y improved fastening as applied to the meeting-rails of an upper andlower window-sash; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same with themeeting-rails in section; Fig. 3, a like sectional View of similarparts. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the keeper of thefastening.

Similar letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures.

My invention consists in a novel screw-fastening, mainly designed forthe meeting-rails of window-sashes, in which a linger or thumb-screwthat is restricted from moving in direction of its length has combinedwith it a traveling screwtongue that is constructed to engage in alocking manner with a keeper secured to the opposite sash to that whichcarries the screw, and so that, when disengaged, itais turned to theright or left, by the friction of the screw, tov prevent it frominterfering with the opening of the window or to adjust it intofastening position, as occasion may require. i

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A represents the finger orthumb-screw connected, as by a bearing-plate, washer, and rivet-head atits lower end, with the meeting-rail of a lower window-sash; and B, thekeeper, secured to the meeting-rail of a corresponding upper sash. Thiskeeper is constructed with a locking-shoulder portion, b, for ascrew-tongue, C, to engage with when the fastening is tightened up bythe screw.v

When the fastening is released, as by the turning of the screw to theleft, the tongue C is free to workin and out of the keeper, according tothe direction in which the screw is turned, by the friction of thescrewA on said screw-tongue C, causing the latter to turn with thescrew, as between stopsv d d', which restrict the turning action orswing of the tongue C to a' distance not much, if any, beyond what isnecessary to place the fastening so that it will not interfere with theopening of the window or movement of the one sash over the other, and sothat, after the window has been opened, the fastening is free to beadjusted again when required, on closing the window, into connectionwith its keeper. Thus the stop d limits the openin g action or swing ofthe tongue O when the screw is turned to the left, and the stop drestricts said tongue, after the window `has been opened, from beingturned in excess tothe right, so that, when the meetingrails are broughttogether again, it would be prevented, by the keeper and stop d, frombeing adjusted into an engaging range of action with the keeper.

Supposing the screw-tongue C, by the friction of the screw A on it inopening the fastening, to have been swung or thrown against thestop d;then, when it is required to make said tongue engage with the keeper B,it is only necessary to turn the screw A to the right, when the frictionof the latter' on the screw-tongue will throw the latter into the keeperunder the shoulder portion b, anda continued turning of the screw in thesame direction will screw up the tongue, so that it will be made toenter and bind against the top of said shoulder portion b, thus securelyholding the sashes from rattle, or the window from being opened exceptby the turning of the screw, and so that a knife entered between themeeting-rails cannot turn the tongue G out of its locking position withthe shoulder portion of the keeper.

In opening the fastening the first action of the screw will be to lowerthe tongue so that thelatter is worked out of the shoulder portion b,and subsequently, bythe friction of the screw, thrown back against thestop d or out of the way of the sash which carries the keeper, whichadmits of the window being opened. I

Under a changed condition of the meeting-rails or parts to which thekeeper and screw are applied then the relative position of the fasteningwill be changed, and it may be arranged to have either a right orleft-hand action in closing.

What is here'claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent,isy 1. The combination of the screw A, restricted from travel indirection of its length, the keeper B, having a locking shoulderportion, b, and the screw-tongue C, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the stops d d with the locking-ton gue C, thescrew A, and the keeper B, essentially as described.

NATHAN THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

R. E. RABEAU, FEED. HAYNEs.

